Sleepless Nights
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: Someone on the team is having nightmares and it may start to interfere with their work. Complete.
1. Better Than Coffee

He awoke and noticed his sheets were covered in sweat. He wiped his brow and headed to his kitchen for a glass of water. He leaned his hands on the counter and held his head low, silently praying that these nightmares would end soon.

--

Cup of coffee in hand, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was met by silence as he entered the bullpen. Both his agents heads down on their desks, a slight snore coming from DiNozzo's desk.

He picked up his keyboard and dropped it on his desk, this startling only one of them.

"Boss..uh…I'm sorry I must've dozed off." Timothy McGee stuttered his way through the sentence as he rubbed his eyes slightly. Both of them were now staring at Tony who hadn't moved at all.

"DiNozzo!!" Gibbs hollered rather loudly, causing most of the office to jump.

He snapped up. "On your six boss!" He replied in between a slight yawn. "Uh sorry boss, I haven't been sleeping too well lately."

Gibbs just looked back at him. "Right, no excuses, sorry." Tony then slapped himself in the back of the head. "I mean, it won't happen again sir."

His boss nodded and took a sip of his coffee as he sat down. Both McGee and Tony glared at each other and Tony's yawn had caused McGee to yawn as well. During this whole process Gibbs had received a phone call.

"When you two are done with your yawning contest, we got a case…" He grabbed his keys and motioned towards McGee. "Never mind, I'll drive."

Both men followed after him as quickly as possible, but as they got into the elevator, they tried to hide yet another yawn, which followed with a smack to the back for their heads. "Those help you wake up?" Gibbs asked loudly.

They rubbed the back of their heads and Tony responded with a nod, "Better than coffee boss, better than coffee."

--


	2. Back Fired

They arrived at the scene and the sunlight helped to keep the respective agents awake, that and the snapping of the camera DiNozzo had taken to, didn't hurt either.

"Time of death Duck?"

"Good morning to you too Jethro…" He knelt down next to the body looking up at his friend. "For the body or you Jethro? Your eyes look about as awake as this body…"

"Yeah well I'm not the one with a leg here and a leg over there…" He gestured in two directions.

"Point taken…" He nodded and continued with his work.

"Liver temp, puts it between 10-12 hours ago Jethro…my initial examination tells me he may have been tortured…"

"The scattered limbs give that away?"

"Certainly didn't hurt…but the small incisions and cuts along the body, suggest a slow bleed out…perhaps over a period of days…of course I'll know more…"

"When you get the body back to the lab…I know, thanks Duck."

Gibbs then made his way over to his senior field agent who was snapping a picture of anything he could see.

"Where's McGee?"

He motioned over to the truck. "Getting some equipment from the back of the truck boss."

Gibbs headed in that direction to find McGee with his forehead leaning against the back doors, his eyes closed. He stood by for a moment and only stared.

McGee leaned back up and saw Gibbs standing there silently. "I just…I uh…"

Gibbs put his hands on his shoulders. "Sit down McGee."

As he did, Gibbs knelt down slightly and looked his Agent in the eyes. "What is going on with you McGee?"

"Nothing. Must be my diet."

Gibbs let up his hands. Just then a car backfired, causing McGee to tackle Gibbs to the ground. "Down Boss."

Tony had made his way over, and couldn't resist taking a snap shot.

"You guys need some time alone?" Tony scoffed as McGee helped Gibbs off the ground.

"I thought…" McGee began to stutter as he commonly did when embarrassed.

Gibbs patted the dirt off of him and glared at the group that started to form, which seemingly broke the group up right then and there.

"Forget it McGee…and not another word DiNozzo." He pointed at Tony, which caused the smile on his face to disappear.

"What do you say we wrap this up huh?" Gibbs almost ordered the two of them to continue their work just as Ducky approached him.

"Timothy is acting strange wouldn't you say?"

"There's a lot of that going around Duck."

--

_The night came quickly, more quickly than he would have hoped. The hot cup of tea was supposed to help him sleep, but when the fear woke him up in the middle of the night once more, it was that hot tea cup that found itself broken to pieces against a nearby wall. _

--


	3. Coming True?

_The caskets were lined up; people were paying their respects, they were shaking his hand…_

"_No!" He awoke again; sweat pouring from his forehead and chest. He ran his hand through his hair and fell back onto the pillow, taking a deep labored breath and fighting to keep his eyes open. _

_--_

"Morning Duck, what you got for me?"

"Morning Jethro…well I was right about the cause of death." He stopped to pat himself on the back sarcastically. "The body was slowly bled out by a series of cuts and deep gashes, then was sliced and diced as it were, before the process was complete…"

"So you're saying…"

"He was tortured my boy…he was alive when his limbs were severed. Though I'd imagine he fell out of consciousness at the mere thought, the brain will do that in such a state of shock. I have sent the findings to Abigail; she is running her usual tests as we speak."

Gibbs walked over and patted his friend on the back with a smile. "Nice job as always Doctor."

Palmer entered just as Gibbs was leaving. "Boy he sure looks tired Dr. Mallard."

Ducky nodded. "I would have to agree with you there Mr. Palmer."

--

"Abby." He hollered loudly out of habit, but realized that no music was playing. He approached her at her computer screen. "What's with the no music?"

She smiled at her friend. "Nothing, just trying to mellow out a little."

He shrugged. "Alright, mellow me out too, and give me something on the case."

"Mellowing…okay. I got a clean match, and actually he looks like a younger you Gibbs."

He looked up at the screen and stared for a moment. "What else Abs?"

"You were a stud muffin in your day weren't you Gibbs?"

"Abs…"

"Right…well I'm currently working on the size and such on the gashes to see if any markings are available…and if you find me a murder weapon…I may just be able to match it for you my stud muffin."

He now stood next to her. "That's good work Abs…" He started to walk away then came back, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "And to answer your question, yes I was."

"Aww, you still are Gibbs…" She said in a sympathetic tone and continued to smile as he walked out.

--

He walked into the bull pen with three cups of coffee, two stacked on top of each other. He set his down on his desk then dropped one off at each of his agent's desks.

"I need you two awake today… the kids name is Nevil Thompson, did Abby send up his information?"

DiNozzo was still staring at the cup of coffee at his desk as was McGee. "Hey! Wake up!" Gibbs clapped his hands together.

"Uh, yes boss, I'll pull up what we got." McGee stood up and walked over to the screen as he clicked the mouse in his hand.

"Gonna join us DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, Tony was still eyeing the coffee cup.

"Yes boss." He got up and stood with the two men.

"Jennifer Thompson, is his next of kin, both his parents were killed in a ten car pile up on the interstate in December of last year…he moved back into his parents home to live with his sister a short time later. He was arrested at the age of 14 for possession of marijuana, found in his locker at school. After his time in Juvie, he seemed to have straightened up, joining the Navy at the age of 18, and became a member of the shore patrol."

"That was a mouth full McGee." Tony said in between his now characteristic yawns. "Can you read me a bed time story tonight?"

Gibbs raised his hand, but as he looked at Tony's face he lowered it. DiNozzo had prepared himself for the blow and was surprised when it didn't come. No one said a thing.

"That's it McGee?"

"No there's more boss…I pulled up his bank records, it appears that two days ago, he removed all of the money from both his accounts, and purchased two plane tickets to Italy."

"Two." Gibbs repeated.

"On it boss." DiNozzo headed over to his desk to grab his coat.

"On what DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked curious.

"His sister boss…she was probably the one going with him right?"

Gibbs nodded. Maybe he was just as tired as his agents were. "Right, go….McGee, go with him."

The two headed out. "Call me."

"Soon as we got something, right boss." DiNozzo finished, but just as the two reached the elevator they made their way back to their desks, each picking up their respective cups of coffee. Gibbs said nothing, and only stared at them. They put the cups back down quickly. There is no rest for the weary.

--

_He was running as fast as he could, but he kept getting further away. He was screaming but he couldn't hear anything but the gun shots, then the explosion. It threw him back but he got up quickly, only to continue running. He thought the liquid on h is face was blood, but as he wiped his hand over his face he found it wasn't, it was his own tears. _

--

"Jethro…Jethro?" Ducky shook the shoulders of his friend slightly.

Gibbs head snapped up and he began to rub his eyes.

A look of concern fell on Ducky's face. "Jethro, have you been _crying_?"

"Don't be silly Duck, I'm just tired…" He patted his face with his sleeve. "You got something for me?"

Just then the Director began to walk towards them. "I just got a call from Metro…there was a shooting and an explosion at the home of the dead man you're investigating…"

"I just sent DiNozzo and McGee to question the sister…" He didn't finish his sentence before he opened his drawer to retrieve his gun and badge, only to be out of the office faster than his two friends had ever seen him leave.

--

_The caskets were lined up; people were paying their respects, they were shaking his hand…_

--


	4. Cat Naps

_His hands were covered in dirt, as he threw a shovel full over his shoulder. He stopped as he saw two shadows cast behind him. _

"_DiNozzo?...McGee?" He tried to get out of the hole he was digging but after a few attempts he gave up. _

"_Why didn't you save us boss?" _

"_I..I…"_

"_Now you've lost your whole team, some leader you turned out to be…"_

"_I would have saved you…you know damn well I would have if I could…"_

"_If you could've gotten there…but you weren't there…you sent us to die, you let us down."_

_He held his hung low. "I know." _

"_Are you going to miss us boss?" Just as he finished the two started to walk away. _

_Gibbs struggled again to get out, but it was no use. The hole was getting deeper and deeper. He watched his two agents disappear into the darkness and spoke softly._

"_Yes…I will." _

_--_

"Boss?" He shook Gibbs shoulders. "You with us here?"

How he was able to slip into sleep with sirens and commotion surrounding him was confusing to even him. As he opened his eyes and looked to see his Agents staring at him, he did nothing but grin back at them.

He brought his hand up and Tony prepared for a smack, but Gibbs gently slapped his cheeks.

"Of course I would've missed you." And the pat on McGee's shoulder as he walked away left both of them confused.

"You put something in his coffee McGee?"

"Uh, no, but maybe we should take it to the lab when we get back and have Abby check it."

"Hey!" Gibbs hollered his arms up at his sides.

"Coming boss." They both responded quickly and headed in the direction of the newly desolated home.

"How long before the blast did you two get here?"

"We had just pulled up." McGee answered, as he took out the camera from his bag.

"When they are through here, help search for any remains, if you find anything you know what to do." He spoke the orders and started to walk away.

"Uh, where ya going boss?" DiNozzo asked a confused look still plastered on his face from a few moments before.

"Coffee…that alright with you?"

"Just thought maybe you'd…"

"Thought I'd what DiNozzo?"

Normally Tony would back down, and respond with a "Never mind boss," but his concern got the best of him.

"That'd you'd be taking a break, you know stop at home, take a little cat nap, you look exhausted boss."

Gibbs turned around. "Do I look like a cat to you?"

"Actually with that silver hair you could pass for…"

Gibbs stared back for a few seconds.

"Coffee, right boss." DiNozzo nodded and turned back towards McGee who was letting out a yawn.

"Now you McGee, you could pass for a Hyena."

McGee had zoned out during Tony and Gibb's conversation and just looked back at his partner, even more confused than he was a few minutes ago.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

-----

Gibbs was leaning against his car, with his phone in one hand, and a fresh cup of coffee in the other.

"They had just pulled up…they're alright."

"Thank God." Ducky let out a deep sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah Him and traffic….." And he closed the phone, no longer sipping his coffee cup, but almost gulping it down. DiNozzo was right, he needed sleep, but he'd be damned if he was going to take his eyes off his team again for a long time.

"Boss, think we got a body." McGee approached.

"You _think_ McGee?"

"Well I…uh…"

Gibbs left him stuttering and headed toward his other Agent, standing in the middle of the debris.

"What do you _think _you got DiNozzo?" He peered over his shoulder before stepping around.

"Please don't smack me boss."

"What the hell do you got?" He snapped back.

"It's a cat."

Gibbs threw his hands up in the air. "Well at least one of us will be getting some sleep…bag it."

----


	5. New Directive

Gibbs crumbled up the pieces of paper on his desk for the fifth time that week.

"I was waiting for you to do that."

He smiled. "Is that right? Well you should've been here yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that…Miss Director."

"Special Agent Gibbs that is _one_ directive that you will not ignore."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid it's too late for me to ignore it, I've already done that."

"Jethro, your agents need this. You need this."

"What I need is for me and my agents to do their jobs…I can't have them off talking to a shrink while we got murders to catch."

"Oh don't pull that card out…"

"Card? It's not _just _a card; it's a person or persons who have killed someone, now I think my team would agree that finding that person or persons is more important than talking about their feelings."

"Frankly, I'm shocked you were even able to annunciate that last word…"

"I can annunciate a lot of words; in fact some come to mind right now."

She stood silent for a moment fuming. "Your team has been coming in half asleep over the last two weeks; Ducky mentioned at lunch that even _you_ had fallen asleep on your desk…now if there was a time for some counseling I think now would be it."

He nodded. "You think they need this because of Kate, so don't try and play it off as anything other than that."

"Well 'they' aren't the only ones who could use it Jethro; this directive is for you as well."

He scoffed. "Me?"

"You…and if you keep throwing away that directive, your sleep won't be the only thing you'll be losing."

She turned to walk away, and Gibbs sighed, slowly retrieving the crumbled up papers from his trash can.

"New directive boss?' DiNozzo asked as he watched Gibbs begin the de-crumbling.

He simply nodded his head up and down.

After a few minutes, Gibbs took to observing his team and saw the intense exhaustion on each of their faces.

"DiNozzo, McGee…" He looked up and waved the two of them over. "Director wants you to meet with the Navy psychiatrist by the name of Hilliard. Make appointments on your own time…but make them."

They held the papers in their hands with a shocked look on their faces.

"Psychiatrist boss? I mean I can understand for the probie, but me…I'm perfectly sane."

Gibbs stared up at him. "Uh huh, you make the appointment first."

"Is this because we've been so tired boss?" McGee questioned, as he read over the note in hand.

He shook his head. "It's because I need all of us to be at 100…and I can't afford to keep buying you two coffees."

"Us? You're gong too boss?" DiNozzo looked surprised. "Maybe we should do a group session or something?"

Gibbs stood up eyeing him intensely as Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"Just a thought boss…" He paused then pointed in the direction of where he had just been. "I'm gonna go back to my desk now."

"Do that." Gibbs replied and started towards the elevator; there were two more people the directive needed to be delivered to.

--


	6. Responses

_He unzipped each bag one after the other, but his knees could no longer hold him up as he reached the final one. As his knees touched the cold floor, he leaned his forehead again the silver table in exhaustion as his tears over took him. Within a moment he was laying fully on the ground, his arm over his forehead as he struggled to regain his composure. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that when he opened them, it would all be a dream. _

_He stood up to find that the each of the bags, were still filled with bodies, and a fleeting thought of joining them crossed his tired mind. _

--

"Ducky, wake up will ya?" Gibbs shook him awake, and attempted to catch him as he almost fell off the autopsy table he had been sleeping on. "Rise and shine Doctor got a new directive from upstairs."

He rubbed his eyes, then without any notice, embraced his friend. "Jethro, so good to see you."

Gibbs patted him on the back a few times. "Yeah, you too…"

There was a moment of silence between them, before either of them said a thing.

"What is it you needed?"

Gibbs handed him a slightly crumbled piece of paper, and watched as his friend struggled to read it.

"Psychiatrist? Jethro, that's just silly. I've taken enough Psychiatry courses to treat myself."

"I don't think it's a suggestion duck, everyone's got to make an appointment or it's my butt in a sling…" He started to make his way out hearing a deep sigh from his friend. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off…you look as exhausted as me."

He shook his head in response. "I can't leave you—I mean I should be here. Got work to do."

Gibbs nodded and continued his exit, as he waited for the elevator he wondered if this directive may be a good thing after all.

---

"Very cool Gibbs, where do I sign up?" Abby stood as if at attention, and plastered a smile on her face, that Gibbs saw right through.

"You're okay with this?"

"Yeah, I mean, we've all had a rough month, I think it'd be good for everybody to…ya know…talk about it, express their feelings, get it out in the open, lay on the couch, make things okay again so we can go back to normal."

Gibbs closed in on the distance between them. "Back to normal?"

She put her hands up in the air. "Yeah things are different Gibbs."

"Define different?"

"Don't go getting all defensive on me Gibbs, I'm just saying, the feel of work has been, well, different, and I'm not feeling it, ya feel me?"

Gibbs took a step back. "No I'm not feeling you Abs."

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "Gibbs, I meant…I don't know, just everyone's acting kinda weird, weirder than usual…they're all tired, and grouchy, and well, un- "us." Gibbs."

He nodded in understanding and pointed. "That's good work Abs." Giving her a soft kiss on the cheek before he left.

She was used to hearing that phrase after finding a lead for a case, but maybe this was a case that Gibbs wanted to suddenly solve more than anything. What had changed in himself and his team? And could it be solved before it affected their work.

---

'What do we got?" Gibbs entered the bull pen and stared face to face with a blank plasma.

"Well I got a dentist appointment tomorrow, so I cant make it for then, I was thinking maybe Friday could work, but it would have to be in the morning and…oh you meant the case, right boss…well the shooting that was heard came from a distance, so she may have been chased out of the home…we weren't able to find any other remains, which also tells us, she probably wasn't there."

"You think DiNozzo?...McGee!"

"I was thinking we could go question her employer, she was working as a waitress at the Royal Knights pub downtown…might give us an idea of…"

Gibbs waved his hand. "Go!"

As the reached the elevator he called them back, and after a few seconds he gathered himself. "I know we are all running on empty, but stay on your toes, I'm not going to lose another one of you. Got it?"

The two of them nodded. "Don't worry boss, I wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity for free psychiatry visits…plus I wouldn't let McGee get killed, he still owes me twenty bucks…"

"I do not…"

"Do too."

"I paid you that last week…"

"Hey! Cut it out. Go find out where our missing sister is, and dam nit, this isn't a joke, you two be extra careful, got me?"

"Gotchya boss." Tony replied, and readjusted his bag on his shoulder as they headed back towards the elevator.

"You so did not pay me back Probie…"

McGee sighed. "Ya know Tony, when you make that appointment, try to mention how forgetful you are starting to become at your old age…"

And with the sound of a hand hitting the back of a head, the elevator doors closed.

--


	7. Unexpected

"I'm telling you Tony, things are different."

"Of course they're different Probie, Gibbs has never lost an agent…he's gonna be even less kittens and moonbeams than usual."

The two of them entered the bar cautiously, getting a glimpse of Jennifer as they pushed open the doors.

"I need the money you owe me, and I need it now Rick!" She held the small pistol in her right hand.

"Look Jennifer, I can't just hand over all that cash…"

"Shouldn't be too hard, considering you have owed it to me for a month! I need it now."

Tony and McGee approached as quietly as possible.

"Freeze, NCIS!"

She turned to face them quickly; and just as she did the bartender lifted a handgun out from under the bar

"Boy this is a stand off if I've ever seen one…" Tony said to himself, as he attempted to put a calming look on his face. "Jennifer, we are here about your brother…Nevil."

"He's in trouble isn't he?"

"Not at all…" Tony replied, eyeing McGee. "We are holding him at NCIS for questioning, he is asking for you. Now, put your gun down, and come with us."

McGee nodded. "Just set it down, we don't want anyone to get hurt." He watched as she slowly set the weapon down, causing the bartender to lower his as well.

As Tony picked up the weapon he pulled Jennifer aside, and McGee took to questioning the bartender.

The ride to headquarters was fairly quiet; McGee and Tony both wondering how they were going to tell Jennifer that they had lied and that in fact, her brother was dead. When they arrived, it took Gibbs all of five seconds to direct Tony over to tell her the truth. It also took all of five seconds for Jennifer to strike Tony across the face.

"Where is he, I want to see him!"

The three of them exchanged glances before Tony and McGee's glances fell on their leader.

"Where he is, isn't important…why he is where he is, is important, we need for you to tell us what kind of trouble he was in."

"I want to see him!"

"No, you don't." Gibbs voice became insistent. "Trust me."

"Trust you? You guys already lied to me once." She stood up and Tony instinctively took a few steps away as he predicted another swing. Gibbs put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her back down towards the seat.

"You sit down and listen. I don't give a damn if they told you the London Bridge was coming down…now believe it or not, you are here for your protection, so you can either cooperate or help us find the people who killed your brother or you can sit here and whine about how you were lied to." He stared at her for a few seconds before turning in the other direction.

She stood up, but sat right back down again. "Sorry look, I'm just…this isn't easy okay…you ever lost your whole family? Do you have any idea what I'm feeling right now?!"

Gibbs turned to face her. "We need for you to tell us anything that will help make sure, that whoever killed your brother gets what he deserves…now, that won't make the pain go away, but it will somehow take out some of the sting, believe me."

Tony had cautiously handed her a Kleenex, perhaps as a peace offering. McGee was quietly sitting at his computer, ready to input any information she may offer.

"Nevil came home last Friday night, and he looked, well, high I guess. I asked him what was wrong but he just pushed me away, and started to yell about all the pressure he had on him…I didn't press the issue that night, but when he left the next morning, I got his jeans from the night before and found packets of cocaine I think …I didn't mention it to him, just hoped he would come to me when he was ready to get help…well he did, sort of. This past Tuesday he said we needed to leave town that he had gotten in the kind of trouble he couldn't get out of. So I just trusted him..."

"And the explosion at your home?"

"I was packing some things, and worrying because Nevil hadn't returned any of my calls…when these two men came in through the front door, threatening to kill me if I didn't tell him where Nevil had hidden their money, and they kept asking about my brothers friend, Raymond, one of them went into the kitchen for a few minutes, and later they told me to go with them out the back door…they didn't know there was a missing step in back, and when they fell, I just ran…and ran…I don't even remember stopping…"

"Could you describe these men?" He wrote a few notes down as he waited for her to respond. She nodded and Gibbs motioned for Tony to work with her on a sketch. "McGee…"

"Find Raymond, on it boss."

Gibbs then began to rummage through his desk, then headed over to Kate's old desk to do the same. Both Tony and McGee looked on curious and began to notice Gibbs's frustration.

"Lose something boss?" Tony asked, as Gibbs looked up in accomplishment, throwing him an ice pack.

"Yeah that…" He pointed to the pack he had just thrown Tony. "Put it on your eye will ya?"

Tony set it cautiously against his left eye, and cringed in pain a bit. "Gee, thanks boss."

--

The hours passed as quickly as the cups of coffee Gibbs had been drinking. He had decided to accompany his team to pick up Raymond Sands. The apprehension went a lot smoother than the last one had and both McGee and Tony were thankful.

As they reached NCIS, Gibbs directed them to put Raymond in interrogation while he checked on Jennifer. She stood staring on the window when he entered.

"Did you find him?"

He nodded. "We did, we are going to question him in a few minutes…how are you holding up?"

She shrugged her shoulders and took a seat near the window, and Gibbs did the same. "What do you want me to say?"

Gibbs shrugged as well. "There's nothing to say, I know, I've been there."

"You have?"

"I have…everyone wants you to say something, to talk about it, but there simply aren't any words to express the loss that you feel."

She nodded and held her head down. "Just got this sick feeling in my gut…does it ever go away?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder softly. "Not for good, it will be gone at times, till you see something that triggers a memory, or you hear a voice, or see a face, that feeling comes back, but it's only for a moment. And in a way, you will find yourself longing for the feeling when you haven't felt it in a while…because sooner or later you will want to remember, even thought it hurts, cuz it's all you have."

He got out of his chair to take her hand, and looked up at her face as she cried. "Time heals all Jennifer, I promise." She nodded in understanding and though he didn't want to, he left her there; he needed to find the retribution that she deserved.

--

Raymond offered all the information he could, including the names of the men depicted on the sketches Jennifer had given them. The three of them were preparing to pick them up, and images of Jennifer's pain filled face were flashing in Gibbs mind, taking him back to a time when his face looked the same as hers.

Gibbs had a look of determination, that Tony and McGee had seen ever so recently, but they had no time for concern. As they gathered the suspects at the scene, they couldn't help but feel wistful that this had been their first arrest without Kate, and in their own way, each of them realized that things weren't ever going to be the same, but it was that look of determination on Gibbs face that reassured them, everything would be alright.

When Gibbs arrived he noticed a crew of officers coming down from upstairs and Ducky was among them.

"What the hell happened up there Duck?"

Ducky took his arm and guided him away from the crowd near the elevator.

"Jethro, its Jennifer…"

He broke away from his arm and jogged over towards the stairs as they pulled the gurney out of the office he had been in with her only hours before. He lifted the sheet to see her body lying still; he coughed to hide the ball growing in his throat. He looked down at his team, then back to Ducky who put his hands up in confusion. Gibbs went back down to rejoin his team for a moment.

"Prepare them for interrogation." He passed by quickly, and Tony softly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Boss…"

"Do what I asked DiNozzo."

He reached autopsy and stood staring at the two full tables before him. "Duck."

"She hung herself from the window Jethro…"

He shook his head as he continued to stare. "She didn't believe me." His friend looked at him confused as he approached her body. "I told her time would heal the pain…she didn't believe me."

"Some people aren't as strong as others."

He turned to face his friend. "She didn't believe me, because she knew I was lying to her."

Ducky sighed. "How so?"

"Easy, she looked in my eyes and she knew."

"But, time _does_ heal all Jethro."

He shifted his weight, and looked at his pain filled reflection coming off the table. He stared for a moment before responding.

"No it doesn't."

He walked out of the room, leaving his friend to ponder his words. The doctor approached where Gibbs had just been and his finger felt something wet beneath it…his friend had shed a tear.

"Perhaps you're right Jethro, perhaps you're right."

--

Tony and McGee waited in silence for their boss to enter the interrogation room. The man waiting for him was their lead suspect; the other had admitted his involvement en route to NCIS. Both of them knew it wouldn't take long for Gibbs to turn him around, they just hoped it would take less them than usual. Those psychiatry appointments were looking more and more appealing by the minute.

When he entered the room, Tony began to rub near his left eye, remembering the lie he had told to Jennifer. A twinge of guilt came as he watched his boss stare down the man in front of him.

"Have you ever seen that look Tony?"

Tony shook his head. "Not until now Probie and I'd be happy if I never got to see it again."

Gibbs had only said a few words before the man said what he wanted to hear. He leaned over his shoulder and whispered into his ear, before leaving the room. Tony and McGee met him back at his desk a few moments later.

"What'd you say to him boss?" Tony watched as he stared at his computer for a few seconds before responding.

"I told him the truth." He glanced at his watch and stood up grabbing his coat.

"Heading home?"

Gibbs shook his head and passed him before looking back.

"I got an appointment, that's long over due."


	8. First Time?

Sleepless Nights

Chapter 8

AN: The following conversation is meant to go rather rapidly, so there is less, "she said", "he replied," type quoting. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

--

Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived at his appointment a few minutes late, and still sat in his car for another ten minutes, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He didn't have anything against psychiatry, in fact, he had a lot of respect for it, but he couldn't get past the stigma of needing "help." He had recommended it to other people, families he had helped, even friends of his own. But for Leroy Jethro Gibbs it took an extra shot of humility, but after the most recent case, he decided that a night with Jack Daniels, and his daughter's boat wasn't going to help as much as it normally would have.

As he took his seat, he found himself face to face with a doctor in a business suit. She did her best to make him feel comfortable.

"Agent Gibbs, it's perfectly normal to be nervous."

"I don't get nervous, Miss Davis, I'm a cop, not a long of things make me nervous, except maybe when people assuming things..."

She straightened up her suit jacket and smiled. "I see, well can I assume this is in fact you're first time seeing a psychiatrist?"

He smiled up at her, as his gaze had found its way to the floor for the early part of their conversation.

"I've been doing this for a long time, I can usually tell by early warning signs, such as showing up ten minutes late, the awkwardness of finding a seat and the inevitable lack of eye contact."

"Don't get me wrong, it's not because the view is bad, I'm just used to being the one doing the staring."

"I'll take that as a compliment Agent Gibbs, thank you."

"You can call me Jethro." He surprised himself with that comment, he wanted to keep this appointment strictly at a professional level, but there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Shall we get started?"

Gibbs nodded his head, which followed with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Tell me about yourself."

He smiled. "Is this gonna go like a first date?"

She laughed in return. "You can think of it as whatever you want, just as long as it helps you get through it."

"A little about me huh?"

"Or more than a little, whichever you prefer."

"Well, I'm an NCIS agent, which I'm sure you knew, I build a boat in my basement, and I like coffee."

She started to take notes. "Anything else?"

"I'm passionate."

"And loyal?" She added.

"To people and things that I should be loyal to. I don't go running around giving my loyalty to anyone or anything that comes my way. I'm pretty selective about the things I give my time to."

"Such as?"

"Work."

"And…" she tried to coax him into continuing.

"My boat."

"I see."

"You see a lot." He responded quickly.

"That's what they pay me to do…what do they pay you to do?"

"Catch criminals. We investigate crime scenes, hoping the clues lead us to the bad guy or guys…I'm sorry, person or persons."

"Tell me about your team."

"They're good people."

"You're loyal to them?"

"They are loyal to me. I just reciprocate it."

She continued writing as they dialogued, and Gibbs was impressed by her somehow. There really was something about her.

"And passionate about your work.as well?

His mind took him to earlier that day and the conversation he had with Jennifer, holding her hand, trying to give her hope with his words.

"I am about making sure whoever is guilty gets what they deserve and so is my team."

"Tell me more about this team of yours…it is your team correct?"

"Yes, it's mine."

"Sounds like a lot of responsibility, how does it make you feel to lead a team like yours?"

He leaned forward to remove his jacket and adjusted himself to get more comfortable before he continued.

"They are good kids, sometimes yes, its stressful, but I didn't take this job to relax at a desk all day. If I wanted a job like that I could've been a psychiastrist."

She laughed slightly. "Do you remember how you said you hate when people assume things; believe it or not, I'm the same way Jethro."

"I was just trying to bring in a little humor, one of my agents does that a lot, helps the rest of the team work through the long days."

"Do you often have long days?"

"Depends on your definition of long. Sometimes ten, sometimes twelve hour days. Some weekends, some all nighters. Never a dull moment."

"That has to be exciting."

"It can be, but sometimes, it'd be nice to just have a case get done when it should because people actually tell us the truth the first time around."

"I imagine you deal with a great deal of dishonesty…does it ever make you think people are hopeless?"

Again, he flashes to the look Jennifer gave him, hours before in that office. Then it flashed to her face lying on the table in autopsy.

"Jethro…you with me here?"

He snapped his head up. "Right, what were you saying?"

She noted his phasing out, and continued. "Does all the lying ever make you think that people are hopeless, or that some things will never change."

"People don't change, circumstances do. I have arrested serial killers, child molesters, kidnappers and murders, dealing with a fair amount of dishonesty comes with the territory."

"Tell me about your most recent case."

He didn't respond right away, as his mind went over the details slowly, it was then he realized he needed coffee.

"Any chance I could get a cup of coffee, black."

She pressed a button on her phone and asked her assistant to get them each a cup. She came in a few minutes later, and it seemed to sooth Gibb's mood.

"Better?" She asked with a grin as he took sip after sip.

"Yes, thanks."

"So about your last case, tell me about it."

"Why?"

"I don't have to have a reason to ask, we're just talking."

"Then let's talk about something else."

"I see."

"Look, don't assume just cuz I don't want to talk about it, that's its an issue, because you're wrong."

"I never said that, and we're both trying not to assume anything here, but you were talking away till I asked about the case, what else do you expect me to think about it?"

He stopped sipping his coffee. "I don't think this was a good idea after all."

She leaned forward. "You said you're passionate…loyal…your team follows your lead. How do you think they will feel about coming if you bail out on it? You care about their well being don't you?" She observed him for a few moments. "Maybe even more than you care for your own."

He had gotten up and decided to sit back down. "I'll stay."

"Good, now this coffee you drink…you need it to get through the day?"

"Yes. It helps me do my job."

"How about sleep?"

"What about it?" He got defensive in his tone, and she noted it.

"Do you sleep well at night? I mean with all that caffeine running through your veins."

"I usually do,"

"Usually?"

"I figured you would pick up on that."

"I'm trained to hear words like that." She smiled and gave him a reassuring look. "You've been having trouble sleeping?"

He nodded. "I have."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"That is what we're here for isn't it?"

"I'm liking this rapid fire conversation and all, but we can get through this quicker if you actually share some things believe it or not."

He laughed. "You're good at getting people to do what you want aren't you?"

"I'm a trained observer."

"So am I." They stared at each other for a moment. "You know this is a lot like my first dates."

She laughed. "I get that a lot….now tell me about these nightmares?"

"Who said anything about night mares?"

"Well I just added together your line of work, stress level and the 'usually' word you mentioned. Am I right?"

He shrugged. "You are."

"It's not uncommon, especially after the events you've been through in the past month."

"I've told you all of five things about myself…how do you know about the last month of my life? You're good but no body is that good."

"Your director highlighted some things she thought I should know about."

"I see, well when you bring it up with my people, go easy, they've had a rough time adjusting."

"And how about your adjustment?"

"I'm fine."

"Of course you are, these night mares are just a hazard that comes with the job huh?"

"The night mares are a hazard alright, they got me so damn tired, I'm afraid that I'm going to make a mistake that might…."

"Cost another member of your team their life?"

He stopped for a few seconds. "Yes."

"Tell me about them."

"My team or the night mares?"

"Which ever."

"How about two for one…I can't close my eyes without seeing them dead, either one or all of them. In one of the dreams I was digging a grave and I had to think it was for them. Another I'm running to save them but I'm too late. It's got me so damn nervous."

"It's something you're afraid of?'

"Damn right it is, it's a fear of any CO…I can barely live with the guilt of losing Kate, let alone if I lost someone else…I cant have it, and I'm going to continue doing everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"But you can't be everywhere."

"I'm sure as hell going to try. I owe that to them."

"How so?"

"It's my fault they are dealing with the loss; I should have killed the bastard when I had the chance."

"That guilt will go with you to the grave Jethro; you have to let that go."

"Its part of what I live with."

"You don't have to."

"I do."

"Who made that a rule?"

"I did."

"Stupid rule."

"For you maybe…not for me."

"I can see that."

"No psychiatry babble will help you let go of the guilt you feel after losing someone you love."

"How can you be so sure? This is your first time seeing a psychiatrist is it?"

He was silent so she continued. "It isn't is it? You lied earlier."

He put his hands up in defense. "I didn't say whether it was or not, you just assumed it was…now see what assuming can do?"

She knew they were getting off topic and tried to focus back. "When do you think these night mares will stop?'

"I was hoping you could help me with that."

"I'm here to help you, help yourself."

"That's reassuring thanks."

"You're stronger than you think you are."

"You don know me."

"I can see it in your eyes."

"Really? What else can you see?"

"Pain."

The two stopped the quickness of their responses right then, and sat in silence for a few minutes. Gibbs wasn't sure how to respond, and only thought of the reflection he saw of himself in the autopsy tables just hours before.

"I don't have the answer to help you let go, but I have a feeling you've been trying to do so for a very very long time."

He nodded. "I have."

"Time has helped."

"Not as much as I thought it would."

"This pain, its not recent?"

"No."

"You can talk about it…it will help."

"No it wont."

"I cant convince you, but trust me, I've been there…"

"No you haven't. And I pray you never have to be." He had nodded towards her wedding ring, and peered across her desk to the pictures of her family.

She had stopped writing notes when she followed his gaze.

"When I lost my family, I lost a part of me that I wont ever get back. I've come to terms with that, I understand that's the way it will always be."

"Your team, they became your new family."

"In a way."

"And losing Agent Todd…brought back those old fears?"

"I'm reminded daily of how short life is, but I do the job, I do it well. I do what's asked of me, and ask my team to do the same. If we don't do our job justice doesn't prevail…and well I would have a hard time sleeping at night if that doesn't happen."

"I see."

Just then Gibbs phone rang and he lifted it from his clip rather quickly. "Got it, on my way."

"So I'll see you in a couple days then?" She offered, realizing their chat was coming to a close.

He nodded. "Yeah sure." He started out the door then returned, leaning over her desk. "You go easy on my team…"

She nodded in understanding. "I promise."

And Gibbs left a little less un easy then when he came in.

--

AN: Up Next – DiNozzo. Reviews always welcome.


	9. A Character

Anthony DiNozzo was doing his best not to undress her with his eyes as he sat down across from her.

"You know you remind me a lot of my mother."

She smiled. "Is a Freud joke about to follow? Cuz if so let me direct you to a picture of my husband." She pointed and DiNozzo frowned a bit.

"Just a harmless observation, I promise."

"Right, well lets see what we can observe during our session shall we?"

He nodded in agreement and shifted in his chair to become comfortable.

"Analyze me." He put his hands out wide, and then folded them behind his head.

"Tell me about yourself."

He grinned. "What do you want to know?"

"Your deepest darkest secrets."

He laughed a bit. "We barely know each other."

"I'm waiting…"

"Okay, well, if you insist…I often day dream about being a private investigator in Hawaii, dating different gorgeous woman every case and winning surf ski races, all the while keeping Hawaii safe from the rift raft that plague the streets."

She stared during most of his rant and couldn't help but shake her head. "Anything else?"

"Of course, I also have a red Ferrari that can swerve around just about anything…I carry a sweet 45, and wear the coolest shirts ever made…"

"Really?"

He nodded his head up and down quickly. "Really."

"So you often day dream of being a character on a television show?"

He clapped. "Oh so you know Magnum? Isn't it the greatest? I mean the action, the woman, the characters, it's my all time fave."

She jotted down a few notes.

"What ya writing there?" He lifted himself off the chair, attempting to get a glance at her notepad.

She closed the pad quickly. "Mr. DiNozzo please."

He sat back down. "Right sorry."

"Now, why do you think you have this fixation with Tom Selleck?"

He scoffed. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. I never said anything about him, I was talking about Magnum."

"They are one in the same, you do realize that?"

"Well yeah, in real life, but in Magnum, he's just Magnum alright?"

She nodded. "Alright…so you think you can explain your fixation with Magnum then?"

He shrugged. "Not really, he's just great, and how can you not like greatness?"

"Are you great too?"

"I'd like to be."

"So you strive to be like Thomas Magnum?"

He laughed a bit, and sat back. "Yeah…yeah I guess so."

"He's like a hero to you?" She asked, but Tony did not answer. "Mr. DiNozzo, did you miss that? I asked if his character was some sort of a hero to you growing up?"

He snapped out of his stare. "Sorry, I guess that word hero struck a chord with me…you should right that down." He pointed to her note pad. "Um, I don't know if I'd say he was a hero, cuz well he isn't real, I mean who do _you_ know that gets to live on an estate, drive a Ferrari and date woman like he did…just doesn't happen…I'd say I don't have many real life hero's at all."

"So you do _have_ real life heroes then?"

"Well yeah, ya know the usual, the service men and woman, the firemen, police and all that."

"No one you know personally? Say, your father?"

He sat up straight. "_What_ about my father?"

"Nothing, I just, usually boys idolize their fathers, I was just trying to…"

"Whatever you were trying to do, don't…I only have one real hero alright."

"And that would be?"

His phone rang and he opened it quickly. "Yeah boss, I'm on it." He closed the phone and replaced it at his hip.

"I'm sorry, duty calls…I'm sure we'll talk again."

She nodded and shook his hand. "The hero, Mr. DiNozzo?"

He nodded towards his hip. "Just got off the phone with him..."

--

AN: Come on all together now, "Awwwww," …Next up: Good question? Was thinking 'the Duck man' …who would you like to hear from next?


	10. Doctors

"I do feel quite silly."

After all, Donald Mallard was a professional. He knew much about psychiatry, but attempted to humble himself and follow orders. Perhaps this woman could enlighten him to some new ideas.

"Most people do, Doctor Mallard, please sit."

As he took his seat, his eyes wandered around the office. Perhaps he could do some profiling of his own.

"So Doctor, why do you think you feel silly about this?"

"Well," he cleared his throat. "I have taken many psychiatry courses myself, I consider myself rather learned in the subject."

"Then maybe this session will got a lot smoother than most. Why don't you start by telling me about your job?"

"Yes, I am a medical examiner, have been one for over twenty years."

"So you must enjoy your work?"

"I don't think 'enjoy' would be the word to categorize it, no, I'd say more that the work is 'enticing," to me, the only part I enjoy is seeing my work being used to bring punishment to the guilty."

"In twenty years you must've come across some odd cases?"

"Odd? Yes I would say so, along with scary, gruesome and horrifying."

"I can see how you can say it's not enjoyable…does your work ever draw you into despair?"

Ducky stopped and reminisced of the morning he unzipped the bag to find Kate staring back at him, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Only once."

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

He sat up straight. "I would rather not."

"I see, well, how about the others you work with? Do they often venture into your autopsy room?"

He nodded. "Not often, Jethro…Agent Gibbs, will come down most frequently, the others on occasion. I have an assistant as well."

"Tell me about this assistant, are you two close?"

"We are becoming so, yes, I feel like I am somewhat of a father figure to him. But he sees me as odd at times…"

"Why's that?"

"I talk to them."

"Talk to your assistant?"

"No, to the bodies…it, well, it helps me work out the mystery in my mind…some people find it particularly strange."

"But you do not?"

He nodded in agreement. "I do not."

She jotted down a few quick notes. "It really is not note worthy, it's simply one of my idiosyncrasies…Jethro, slaps the back of heads and stares people into oblivion, Tony chases woman, Abby wears dog collars, Timothy writes and I talk to the dead…its nothing really."

She smiled slightly. "Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, well, is there anything else strange about you that you want to qualify as nothing."

"I don't find it strange, others do…but no nothing I can think of right now."

"How about your personal life?"

"My elderly mother lives with me…that's the only thing interesting enough to note."

She laughed a bit. "Do you want to switch seats Doctor Mallard?"

"Ha, quite the contrary actually, I'm enjoying this."

"You are something of a caretaker?"

He paused and reflected on that characterization for a moment. "Yes, yes I would imagine I am."

"You take care of your mother…father figure to your assistant, and I would say to most of your other co-workers as well- even Agent Gibbs?"

He nodded. "Yes, subsequently, I do happen to have a small amount of influence on Jethro, which is more so than the others have…just came through time, and friendship."

"He is a tough nut to crack." She smirked a bit.

"He can be."

"But you care for him anyhow?"

"The best I can, it is not easy at times."

"Why do you continue to try?"

"Because he cares too. You just have to know how to see it."

"Did you try after Agents Todd's death?"

Ducky's ears shot up. He wasn't expecting that comment. "I take it Jethro spook about it with you?"

"Actually no, your director filled me in on some details…I understand you were held hostage by the man that killed her?"

"I was."

"That must have been quite terrifying?"

"It was."

"Do you feel you could have done things differently? Perhaps prevented that man from escaping that day?"

He stood up hastily. "If I would have had the chance to kill the bastard that day, don't you believe that I would have? I would have just as well taken her place, just as Jethro would have. Do not presume that I am plagued with guilt, simply because I do not blubber like a baby about my feelings…I am deeply scarred by that event, yes, but do not need another Doctor to bring that to the light…and so I feel that we are quite finished."

He swiftly grabbed his jacket, and to keep from being less than a gentleman, he nodded a goodbye towards her, opened the office door and left.

--

AN: Up Next, Abs or McGee? You decide….also this story won't be ending when these appointments come to a close, so don't get sad…I may have more in store!


	11. Fixing Things

AN: I am not currently planning to have Ziva appear, but she may. Now…brace yourself…here…comes…Abby…

--

Abby huffed as she took her seat, turning her head away from the Doctors direction.

"Something the matter Miss Sciuto?"

She nodded once. "Yes, lots."

"Do you mind elaborating?"

"I don't mind at all!"

"Then by all means…"

She lifted her legs and sat Indian style on the chair. "Frankly…well I don't usually say Frankly, but it seems like a good word to use right now…anyway…Frankly, I am perturbed, usually don't use that either…but you pissed off Ducky, and well it takes a lot to make him angry so in turn, I will now be angry with you."

"So let me get this straight…you're angry with me for making him angry?"

She pointed at her. "You're good you…" Attempting to impersonate Robert DeNiro.

"You are quite the character."

"I get that a lot." She said, but still did not make eye contact.

"Would it help if I apologize?"

"It would."

"Then I apologize."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm saying it because you said it would help, and because I am truly sorry, I had no idea making Doctor Mallard upset would have such a ripple effect."

"Yeah well, when something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us, so I'd be more careful next time."

She nodded. "I sure will."

Abby then readjusted her legs to get comfortable. "Now, let's get right down to it then, you're talking to us because of Kate right?"

"Among other things."

"Well let me tell you first hand, that nothing has been the same since she was killed, and I'm really hoping you can help fix that."

"How would I do that?"

"Cuz you have a degree for, ya know, fixing things…"

"Have you tried fixing it then?"

"Of course, but as you probably know, we are all a melting pot of craziness, I mean Gibbs doesn't go a day without smacking someone, Tony bottles every thing up, and I swear McGee is like having another female on the team."

She laughed a bit. "So it's too hard of a problem for you to fix then?"

"Hey now, I never said that…sheesh, now I know why you pissed off Ducky…quit assuming things will ya…listen, I was just hoping you could give a little insight…_not _remind me of how incapable I am of solving the problem on my own okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"Good."

"So what seems to be the problem again?"

"Lady if you're mocking me, I have no problem reaching over that desk and punching you in the shoulder. I've done it before."

She held her hands up. "That won't be necessary I assure you…I mean, can you elaborate what has been different? Then perhaps we can tackle them one by one."

Abby reacted like a light bulb had just gone off in her head. "Ohh, okay, yeah…so Tony is always trying to act like Gibbs, and has completely given that up… Gibbs has been way nice and way overprotective...ya know more than usual…Ducky is barely telling his long boring side stories…and McGee, well, he's still McGee."

"I see." She wrote down a few things.

"So" she rubbed her hands together. "Let's fix 'em."

"It's not that easy Miss Sciuto, all of these can be complicated issues in each of them…Tony could have given up because he thinks Gibbs failed somehow…Gibbs may be more overprotective than usual because he feels he needs to be…Ducky may not want to tell stories because Kate enjoyed them more than anyone…and McGee may just cope in a private way…ya see all of these issues are quite complex."

Abby cocked her head sideways. "Umm, do they pay you to see things as more complex then they really are…cuz all Tony has to do is realize Gibbs didn't fail, Gibbs needs to ease off cuz his agents are sweet…and well Ducky needs a new fan of his stories…That's it." She clapped her hands and stood up.

"Thanks for helping me work this out…sorry for not looking at you before…you've been a big help." She shook her hand and started out the door, and the doctor could hear her repeating "that's it" to herself over and over as she left.

--


	12. Fixed?

Abby made her way into the bull pen with a look of determination on her face. She stood in front of Tony's desk first.

"Tony, Gibbs isn't perfect, he never will be perfect…so stop thinking he let you down, because he didn't…"

Tony stared back at her confused.

"Be Gibbs again."

She then turned to approach Gibbs who eventually looked up at her.

"Need something Abs?"

"No, in fact, I don't need anything…well okay one thing…just for you to stop being so nice, and over protective, you have to realize that your team can take care of themselves, and sometimes stuff happens that you have no control over…"

He also looked at her confused and repeated her previous advice.

"Be Gibbs again."

She turned again to face McGee's desk. "I'm here if you need to talk McGee." Patted him on the shoulder and walked towards the elevator, there was one more person left to fix. Each of the three men, sat there pondering her words, or lack there of, and said nothing to each other the remainder of the afternoon.

--

Ducky was hovering over a file at his desk when Abby arrived. She grabbed a chair and rolled her way over, putting her elbows up on the desk and her hands under her chin.

"Got time to tell me a story duck man?"

He looked up confused. "Not in the mood Abigail, perhaps another time."

"But I want to hear one…come on pretty pretty please? With a bunch of cherries and whip cream on the top?"

He leaned back surprised, and then a smile found its way on his face. "Well if you insist…"

As he told the story, she fought to stay attentive. She was going to become his new fan, if it was the last thing she did.

--

McGee left the office, with a smile on his face. He really was a lucky guy, great job, great friends. Besides the tragedy, he knew that even that was growing him as a person, and in an odd way he was thankful for that.

He walked into the office and sat down matter of factly, the smile still plastered on his face.

"You're probably the happiest of the bunch to sit in that chair, Mr. McGee."

"Call me Tim, and yes, I was just told something that made me smile."

"Care to share?"

"Nothing big, just a friend offered her help to me…and well it meant a lot, so I'm smiling."

"Good for you Tim. How is work going?"

"Its slow right now, but we just got through a tough one."

"Do you mind sharing?"

"I'm sure Gibbs and Tony already mentioned it."

"Actually they didn't…"

McGee then thought to himself_. If Gibbs didn't tell, maybe he shouldn't either_. "Well there's probably a reason they didn't…we can talk about something else."

"You often follow their lead like that?"

"I do…they are more seasoned officers than me."

"You ever feel intimidated?"

"Oh yeah, all the time…but it makes me better at what I do."

"You wouldn't rather they taught you without the intimidation?"

"No, actually, I'm used to it. Its how they are, and it's worked so far."

"I see, so I have been able to deduce that you all have close working relationships?"

He nodded. "We do, we try to. I mean, we are kind of like a dysfunctional family."

"Who just lost a member?"

He sighed. "Yes we did."

"I was very sorry to hear that…how has that affected the family relations?"

"It did a lot at first, but the skills we all had were still there, they were just shadowed by the hurt we were all feeling…filling a spot for Kate will be hard. I'd imagine it may get worse when her replacement does inevitably come."

"That something you're looking forward to?"

"Not particularly, I mean like I said, Kate was special, you can't just replace her with anyone."

"I'm sure your director will choose a good fit for all of you…"

"Hope so."

The two sat silent for a few moments till she started again.

"Anything in particular you would like to talk about?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really."

"Pretty content?"

"I am."

"Why?"

McGee was confused. "That should be a good thing right?"

"You tell me."

"I would have to say that it is."

"Then I guess we're done here."

He sat up. "You trying to tell me something?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you're trying to say I'm too reserved…that I'm unemotional, but I can tell you that is simply not the case, I just prefer to mourn on my own time…quietly, and I bury my head in other things."

"Such as?"

"Writing, I like to write."

"Helps you think?"

He nodded. "It does…"

"What do you like to write about?"

"Anything really…mostly adventures, murder mysteries, Sci-Fi…whatever I feel the urge to write."

"You ever write plays or things to that effect?"

"I've dabbled in some fan fiction, but no plays."

"Fan Fiction?"

"Yes, its where fans of a show, use the characters from pop TV shows or movies and write fictional stories…it actually pretty popular."

"I see…do you ever write about your own life?"

"Sometimes."

"And you portray yourself as you are?"

"More or less…I mean anyone is going to exaggerate when writing about themselves, but I try to stick to the facts and write fantasies surrounding me."

"Did you ever write about Kate?"

He stopped for a few seconds and thought back to when he'd first met her, and remembers the night he sat down and wrote a story about her and Tony and he laughed a bit.

"Something you want to share?"

"Ha, no, she'd kill me if I did."

"Who's that?"

"Kate…" He realized that it had been a while since thinking about her had made him smile, and he started to fight the sadness that was welling up inside him suddenly.

"You alright Tim?" She reached for a Kleenex box near her and placed it in front of him.

He shrugged. "Yeah," he thought of what Abby had said to him hours before, and stood up. "I will be. Thank you."

She watched him leave, and leaned back in her chair. "Boy, if I could just have one session where I actually end the conversation…is that so much to ask?" She shook her head in disbelief, and jotted a few things down on her note pad.

--

AN: You like? Let me know, while I go try and figure out what's up next…


	13. Being Wrong

Abby barely woke up as she heard the knocking from her front door. She opened the coffin, and hopped out.

"McGeeeee…." She said in a whiny voice. "What are you doing here so late?"

He shrugged. "Thought I'd take you up on your offer to talk…I'm having a rough night getting to sleep."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. "You want some mint hot chocolate, I just got it…?"

"Nah not really in the mood."

"How about some mint hot chocolate and Crown Royale?" She lifted the bottle up for him to see.

He nodded and shot her a smile.

"That's more like it McGee…" She prepared it and sat down on the love chair across from him. "What's up Timmy? Talk to me."

He sipped the hot chocolate. "Should I lie down?"

She laughed in return. "Oh McGee, we've both had enough therapy sessions lately…just let it out."

He rubbed the rims of his cup and stared down into it. "Do you think…well…I mean, if it was me that was killed, that the team would be all that affected? I mean, I don have the personality like Kate did, and I'm not overbearing like Gibbs, or sly like Tony…I just kind of feel like I'm out of place, that I should maybe leave?"

She moved from her chair and took a seat next to him. "Don't be silly McGee…no body is as overbearing as Gibbs."

He laughed slightly. "I mean it; I just feel I could be of more use, hacking for the FBI or something."

"Yeah if you want Gibbs to shoot you…listen, we are all different, I mean I sleep in a coffin McGee, how many lab techs have you met that do that?"

"True."

"And Kate, well Kate was a sweetheart, but she had her things…Tony can be a sweetheart too, but definitely has his things going on…we're all a melting pot McGee, that's what makes us, us."

He took another sip from his cup. "You're right Abby, you're always right, even about us." He pointed to her than back at himself.

"Sometimes it's not fun to always be right you know?"

"Actually, I'd imagine it's pretty cool."

"It certainty helps with Gibbs and all, but every once in a while, I wouldn't mind being wrong."

"Like when?"

"Like about us." She leaned in closer to him, and the two simultaneously set their cups down.

"Like now?" McGee asked softly.

"Like right now." She leaned in closer.

As they began to kiss she pulled away for a moment. "I've never been happier being wrong before." But before McGee could even crack a smile, they picked up right where they left off.

--

The following morning, Abby and McGee came off the elevator together. And Abby walked through the bull pen, passing out her usual good mornings to each of them. She quickly winked at McGee before heading down to the lab. After a few minutes, a shadow was cast over Tim's computer screen, a shadow by the name of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"Hurt her…you die…clear?"

McGee swallowed hard. "Crystal boss."

Tony couldn't help but notice the dialogue, and simply smiled giving a discrete thumbs up under his desk.

_How does everyone know? _He thought to himself, but gave up and just chalked it up to their infamous intuitions that will forever go unexplained.

After about a half hour of silence Gibbs phone rang and McGee and Tony jumped instinctively prepared to move out. As he set the phone down, the usual swaray of actions followed, and as they entered the elevator Tony posed a question.

"Where we headed boss?"

"Bethesda Clinic."

Tony and McGee exchanged glances, then looked back at Gibbs, hoping for an explanation.

"Our psychiatrist was murdered last night."


	14. Under the Weather

"Agent Gibbs, NCIS." The opening and closing of his badge took less time than usual. "What happened here Sergeant?" Gibbs pointed for Tony to start the sketching.

"Found her body this morning, it appears she never made it home last night, her husband phone and we found her like this, about a half hour ago."

Gibbs leaned over her body. "Where the hell is Ducky?"

"He uh, he's…." Tony began but was interrupted.

"Right here Jethro…I was just getting in when Tony called…" He knelt on the opposite side of his friend, but as he turned the body over he got up quickly and raced out of the room, his hands over his mouth.

Gibbs watched him leave and looked over at Tony and McGee who were exchanging glances. He turned to follow after his friend but not before acknowledging their looks with a stare.

He found his friend knelt over in a corner. "You alright?"

He placed his handkerchief back in his pocket. "I am quite embarrassed Jethro. My apologies.' He stood up and quickly started back towards her office when Gibbs grabbed his arm.

"I've done crime scenes with you for ten years Duck, you've never ran out on me before, what is going on?"

Ducky swiftly removed Gibbs grip from his arm. "I am fine." He straightened up his shirt and continued towards the room. Gibbs followed but allowed for him to continue his work.

"What do we got?"

McGee was a little startled by Gibbs arrival. "Looks like a struggle boss, but uh, no forced entry that we can see. The killer may have known her or came in during the end of her office hours."

"Alright, send someone to question her secretary, I want her phone records, and confiscate her computer and get a warrant for her records and files. Get on this McGee, I want the bastard."

McGee nodded and glanced over at Tony as Gibbs made his way over. "Tony?"

"He's probably just a little under the weather boss, I'm sure its nothing to worry about….probably just ordered some bad take out…you know how he's a sucker for that shrimp chow mein, I mean it only takes once boss…"

Gibbs stared back at him for a moment. "I was going to ask what you had so far."

Tony snapped is fingers. "Right…I knew that…well, no sign of a murder weapon, but it looks like the shooter may have been standing around this distance based on the spatter of the shotgun shells near the window and wall…I just need to take a few more pictures and I should be all set."

"Take 'em."

"On it boss."

He watched as Gibbs paced back over to the desk. He began to search through her desk and found a familiar yellow note pad. As he started to flip through the pages, he noticed one had been torn out.

He read over the first page carefully, then continued page by page. Tony and McGee approached as he was finishing. "Got something boss?"

"Yeah, maybe. Look, bag and tag this…finish up here, I'll meet you outside."

The two did as they were told and watched Gibbs exit rather quickly.

Gibbs leaned into the ME van window just before they left. "You're sure you don't want to take the day Duck? If you're not a 100 percent, we can call in another ME."

"I said I was fine Jethro, just been some time since I've seen a shot gun platter like that…"

He eyed his friend curiously. "I assure you, I'm fine Gibbs. Now, stop worrying about me and worry about finding this killer."

Gibbs nodded, not used to his friend being this short with him. "Yeah, I'm on it Duck."

As the van drove away, McGee and Tony arrived. "Ducky feeling alright boss?"

"Feeling better than our psychiatrist….let's go."

--

Gibbs entered autopsy a little later than usual and noticed his friend shifting his head back and taking a quick drink of water. He ignored what he saw and continued as if he wasn't there.

"What ya got for me Duck?"

"I was able to retrieve some fragments, Abigail has them…I wasn't able to find any sign of a struggle to support Timothy's theory, the death was in fact caused by the bullet wounds to her chest, and she subsequently bled to death."

Just then Gibbs phone rang. "Yeah Gibbs."

"Boss, the MP's found a shot gun on the local beach a few miles from the clinic."

"Get Abby on it." He closed his phone and paced towards the elevator.

"Something good Jethro?"

"Possible murder weapon Duck…keep working."

--

Within hours, McGee and Tony had the background Gibbs wanted and began to put the pieces together.

"I'm heading to Abby's lab, she's got something…keep going on the theories…and get her secretary in here."

--

"What do you got Abs?"

Abby turned around to face him quickly, worry covering her face.

"What is it?" He walked past her to find the fingerprint match up on the screen.

"You're sure?"

She nodded her head up and down and he now stood by her side. "How sure?"

"98.9 ...its a match…"

He didn't reply.

"Ducky couldn't do this Gibbs…"

He again said nothing, and made his way towards the elevator, pressing the button down, to autopsy.


	15. Ducky

Ducky sat quietly, his hands covering his face when Gibbs approached.

"Duck."

"I have nothing new Jethro." He stood up slowly and walked a few feet away, laying a hand on a nearby wall.

Gibbs now stood directly over him. "What is going on with you?"

He turned and faced him quickly. "Nothing."

"You're lying to me."

Ducky's eyes shifted and he turned to face his friend fully, but said nothing. They stood eye to eye for minutes before either said a word.

"Where were you last night?"

"What business is that of yours?"

"It's my business if you're a possible suspect in this investigation."

He shook his head. "You have insulted me for the last time today Jethro…you're right perhaps I am feeling a bit under the weather, I'll be going home."

Gibbs now stood in front of him. "I can't let you do that Duck."

"I'm not well Jethro."

Gibbs started to pace. "What the hell is going on with you? First you're late, you bail out on a body, you're taking pills, which you never do…explain to me what's going on, and I can help you."

Ducky shook his head. "You can't help me."

Gibbs threw his hands up. "You're scaring me Duck." 

"That's quite a feet…scaring Leroy Jethro Gibbs…the unbreakable man. I simply do not believe that."

"Listen your fingerprints were found on the murder weapon, Abby is sure…now explain to me how that happened?"

"That's for you to find out Jethro, I simply do not know."

He nodded and paced to stand in front of his friend once more. "Go home Doctor."

"And…"

"Wait for me to call you. Don't go anywhere but straight home, give us some time to figure this out…is there anything I should know before you go?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Gibbs placed his hand on his shoulder. "You sure?"

"Quite."

--

"Tony…report."

He got up from his desk at the same time as McGee. "Right boss…secretary is on her way in, did Abby find anything?"

Gibbs didn't answer for a few seconds. "She got a fingerprint match from the weapon."

"Aw that's great boss, what a break…who's is it?"

"Listen, what I'm about to tell you, stays here with us. Understood?"

McGee and Tony nodded and stared back cautiously. "They're Ducky's."

"What boss, that's not possible."

"It's possible…now we gotta figure out the how and why, and the reasons there of…now get on it."

McGee stared back at Tony and Gibbs picked up on it. "What is it?"

Tony shook his head at McGee and attempted to quiet him. Gibbs then came around his desk and stood in front of Tony. "Got something to share DiNozzo?"

"It's uh, it's something he told me in confidence, and I'm not so sure that…he would want me to tell you…"

"What the hell would he tell you and not me?"

"It wasn't so much that he told me boss, I kinda dropped in on him and well…"

"Damnit Tony, what is going on?"

"After uh, Kate…he started drinking…pretty heavily…"

Gibbs started to shake his head. "No, no way, I would've noticed."

"Well you didn't…he was getting bad boss."

He looked over at McGee. "You knew too?"

He nodded. "We were getting him help; he didn't want us to tell you."

"Don't you two ever, keep something like this from me again, understand?"

They both agreed and neither of the three men spoke during the next few moments.

---

Ducky arrived at his home, and sat face to face with an empty glass and a bottle filled to the brim. He began to pour when he was startled.

"Won't you be pouring me a glass Doctor?"

He turned around and his eyes immediately met the barrel of a gun. "Who are you?'

"The man who is framing you for murder."


	16. Mistake

"McGee, I don't care if she had five hundred patients, I want you reading through her files…every single damn one of them…I want to know who may have had a grudge or obsession or whatever against her…and I want to know it five minutes ago…"

Gibbs was acting more irate than usual, but it was exactly what Tony and McGee expected. They attempted to bury themselves in whatever their assignment was as quickly as possible, because they knew that the more time that went by, the less time they would have to clear Ducky before it was too late. Abby appeared shortly there after and stood over Gibbs desk silently for a few moments.

"Yeah Abs?"

"Hi…"

Gibbs sighed. "Hi."

"How are you?"

He stood up. "Get to it Abs, what do you got that a phone call wouldn't do?"

Tony and McGee ears perked up as they attempted to eaves drop.

"Well, you know the note pad you gave me, well, besides reading the interesting notes on all your sessions, which was way cool by the way, um, it seems that if the pages were going in chronological order that Ducky's page would be the one ripped out."

Gibbs only stared back, expecting more of an explanation. "So…I was able to pull some prints off the pad, and they're still running…and I'm also going to try and see if I can get any markings from the next session's sheet that may have pressed through."

"And tell me again, why you couldn't tell me this over the phone?" Gibbs was getting a bit frustrated and looked over at Tony and McGee who immediately looked back down at their work.

"Cuz, well, I need a hug…" She opened her arms wide, and Gibbs melted. He paced around and embraced her softly. "I'm worried about him Gibbs, I can't stop thinking about how he must be feeling right now."

"I need you to think about making him feel better Abs, you gotta get back down there and find something that links someone else to this murder…I need you to do what you do."

She nodded and after receiving a small kiss she retreated down to her lab, eyeing McGee haphazardly as she left.

"Five minutes ago McGee!!" Gibbs almost shouted, referring to his previous orders to the rookie agent.

"Should have a better idea in a few hours." Gibbs looked up sharply from his screen and McGee continued. "Or five minutes ago, got it boss."

"DiNozzo!"

Tony sat up from his chair. "I was able to speak to her colleagues and none of them mentioned any weirdos or vendettas that they were aware of, she was a sweet lady to everyone she knew boss."

"Maybe too sweet…where the hell is her secretary?!"

Just then, a thin blond, wearing a NCIS visitor's badge, entered the bull pen, catching stares from all three of the men, but in particular DiNozzo.

"You must be Miss Shane, I'm Anthony DiNozzo, we spoke earlier."

She took his hand and smiled. "Yes, I remember."

"We have no time for pleasantries today DiNozzo…" Gibbs approached and held back the urge to head slap Tony hard. "Look Miss…Shane is it?... I need for you to be completely honest with us...we need to know if any one she had been seeing as a patient or otherwise, would've had a reason to kill her."

She was taken aback by his forwardness but complied none the less. "There was one guy…she's had been treating him for a couple weeks, when she suggested he be transferred to another clinic…he kept calling, leaving her messages, even flowers…"

"Did you report any of this?"

She shook her head. "No, she was adamant that it was only a temporary obsession and it would go away if we just ignored it…

"We need his name."

"It's confidential, I could, well, I could lose my job."

Gibbs looked over at McGee who got up from his desk quickly, holding a piece of paper. "There's no need to worry about that Miss Shane, anything pertinent to this investigation no longer falls under client privacy."

She nodded. "His name was Alex Ferguson, he was a shore patrolman…you can get more from his files, but that much I know."

Gibbs had already nodded towards McGee to find everything he could find on him. "Tony, get her to write a statement, I want to know all the details she knows about this guy…and I want it…"

"Five minutes ago, got it boss."

--

"You're making a big mistake you know?"

The tall man sipped his tea slowly and smiled. "Why would you say that Doctor?"

Ducky was bound, but able to move slightly. "I have a reputation that precedes me; you can't possibly think anyone would believe that I could murder someone? You're going to wish you picked someone else to cover up your sin."

He lifted the gun quickly, and stood directly over him. "You, got angry with her…you, you yelled at her…who do you think you are, yelling at such a beautiful woman, such a gentle woman…couldn't you tell that she was only trying to help you? But no, you had to go and insult her intelligence, and walk out on her like she was a no body…that's where you were wrong Doctor Mallard…that's where you were wrong."

Ducky leaned back slightly as the pressure of the weapon against his skull caused him to do so. "My boy, you were the one who was wrong."

Just then his phone rang loudly across the room. "If I don't answer, my friends will worry."

"Well then let them worry, you'll be dead before anyone gets here anyway."

Ducky sighed deep. "And how do propose to kill me?"

"Well, an elderly man such as yourself…a drinking problem, about to get accused of murder…it was just all too much for you to take…"

---

Gibbs picked up his phone and put it down for the fifth time in a minute, before he stood up and grabbed his coat.

"I'm going to Ducky's…I want everything on Ferguson, when I get back…"


	17. Hostage

The ride to Ducky's was short, seemingly taking any normal driver a total of twenty minutes, today, it took Leroy Jethro Gibbs only ten. He pulled into the circle drive rather abruptly behind Ducky's Morgan, and after calling one last time and getting no answer, he swung his car door open, exited and slammed it shut.

He reached the door and quickly rang the door bell. "Ducky…it's me, damnit, open the door." He peered inside but saw nothing; he looked back at his friend's car then hopped down the steps to look inside. His heart jumped when he saw the frame of his friend's body lying on the ground. He grabbed his phone and called in the Calvary. He then found where his friend hid a spare key and entered slowly, his weapons muzzle entering first.

Just as he turned to enter the room where he saw his friend, he was met with the muzzle of a gun as well.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill you too."

Gibbs heart wrenched as he glanced down at Ducky. "I'm a cop."

"I don't care if you're the president…get outta here."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to get out."

"Alex…"

"How do you know my name?"

"I didn't till just now…look, we know everything…your best bet is to drop your weapon and come with me."

"Yeah right…" He stopped himself as he heard sirens coming in the distance.

"You're gonna be surrounded in about two minutes…you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm sure!" He took a few steps back and lifted Ducky's head slightly. A groan emanated from his body, which Gibbs took as a sign that his friend was still alive.

"If you don't leave now, I swear I'll kill him."

Gibbs paced forward slowly. "Prove to me he's alive."

He lifted Ducky a bit more. "I just knocked him out, but the next time whatever I do will be more permanent, so go…now!"

Gibbs nodded and backed up towards the door. He had never gone so slow in his life, he felt like he was abandoning his friend, but as most often happens in situations like this, there weren't many options left.

When he arrived outside, he coordinated with the officers as they arrived. "Gibbs, NCIS, we got our ME being held hostage, one assailant that I can see, I need you to set up a perimeter, and set up a command center there…when your SWAT leader gets here, send him to me."

The next ten minutes were the longest ten minutes of Gibb's life. Tony and McGee arrived together and jogged over to their boss quickly. "Boss."

"Good of you two to join me…you bring the dossier on Ferguson?"

McGee handed it to him. "Right here."

"Good." He started to look through the file as he continued. "He's got one weapon from what I saw…there were two cups and a tea kettle on the table, one fifth of liquor and a lone glass…everything else was in order, so he must have been waiting for him, no sign of any struggle or forced entry…Ducky was bound, and barely conscious…I do believe he was planning to kill him, so we have to proceed knowing that if we don't get him out of there, he will…"

Tony and McGee were rather impressed by the rant, but elected not to make any comments on it.

"McGee go assist with the command center, Tony come with me." The two walked near the back entrance. "That looks like our best point of entry, he's got a grand piano right in front of that window…and a large vase with those tall flower thingy's…when and if we form our ground assault, I want you taking the point of the team in the rear…so go get into some gear, I don't know when this is gonna do down."

Tony nodded. "We'll get him out boss."

Gibbs didn't respond and headed back toward the command center. "Can I make contact yet McGee?"

"Should be any minute…we are setting up a tap on the line now."

Just then his cell phone rang and he answered quickly. "Yeah Gibbs…Abs, he's fine, we got it under control…no don't come here I need you there…listen, find something to link Ferguson to the other evidence…I promise you, we'll bring him back…yes, in one piece…" He hung up abruptly and stared at McGee.

"I had to tell her boss…she practically beat it out of me…okay maybe not beat it out. But she looked at me with those eyes, and I well…sorry boss."

Tony then approached. "I warned you probie."

Gibbs kept his stare on his rookie agent. "The phone line McGee!" He shouted, causing just about everyone in the van to jump.

"Any second now…" he punched a few keys and opened the secure line. Gibbs still not taking his eyes off him. "All set boss."

Gibbs opened his phone within seconds, all the while wondering what was happening on the other end of the line.

"Been waiting for your call." Ferguson sounded nervous.

"Took us some time to get all set up out here…a take down isn't an easy operation."

He laughed slightly. "You take me down, the ME dies."

"What do you want from me to keep that from happening?"

"I want you to clear out, so I can leave here."

"Not likely, your best option still remains to give yourself up."

"I won't…I cant…I'm not going to prison. Either you let me go, or both of us die."

"Let me talk to Doctor Mallard." He heard a bit of shuffling on the other end before he heard his friend's voice come through.

"Jethro…"

"We're gonna get you outta there Duck." He heard a small sigh before the phone was passed back to Ferguson.

"Start clearing out and after I'm a safe distance away, I'll drop the doctor off…"

"I'm gonna need some time."

"You have ten minutes." The dial tone rang in Gibbs ears for a few seconds before he closed the phone. "Tony, keep five men and hold your perimeter in the back out of sight…McGee start clearing people out…"

"But boss…"

"Just do it McGee!"

McGee complied and personnel were given orders to leave, and set up road blocks within a twenty mile radius. After about ten minutes had passed Gibbs decided it was time to make the call.

He radioed Tony. "At my mark, I want your team to move in…I'm gonna head in through the front to distract him…we aren't letting him take Ducky outta there, clear?"

"You can't walk right up boss, he'll shoot you."

"Just do it Tony."

"Copy."

He lifted his phone and placed the call quickly. "Alright Ferguson, we're just about cleared out…but I got a proposition for you."

As the team listened in, none of them expected what was going to come next.

"You let me come in there and trade places with him…he's hurt…he'll slow you down."

"I want _him_."

"You want him, cuz you think he went off on her, well, I was the one who was coming onto her…she was even gonna cheat on her husband the night you killed her…with me."

"You're lying…she would never."

"What do you think she was doing at the office so late…trust me, you don't know her as well as you think you do."

"You bastard."

"Yeah maybe…but that man you have there, he just lost him temper, believe me, I'm the one you want."

"No tricks…"

Gibbs lifted his hands up. "I won't even bring in my weapon."

Tony shook his head as he listened. "Always gotta be the hero boss."

"I'm coming in now." He set his weapon down on the ground and paced towards the front door. "Start moving in Tony."

"Copy that."

He reached out for the door handle and turned it slowly. His hands came through the door frame and he kept them up as he entered. He stood and shifted his eyes in the direction of his friend.

"He'll kill you Jethro, don't."

"Shut up Doctor…alright, when he starts walking you walk towards me…"

Gibbs shook his head and replied "Once he's outside, I start walking towards you."

"Fine…" He pushed Ducky forward a bit.

Ducky looked into his friends eyes, and Gibbs read them perfectly. He shook his head but it was too late, Ducky had turned quickly and tried to fight the gun away from Ferguson. "Tony move in, take him out now!"

Gibbs reached for his friends back to pull him away when shots rang out. It seemed like everything stood still when Ducky's body fell into Gibb's arms. Tony raced over to Ferguson. "He's dead boss." He peered over at Gibbs who was leaning over his friend and yelling into his radio.

"Need an EMT in here now!" He was frantic and hollered for Tony. "Bullet went clean through…"

Tony watched as Gibbs gripped Ducky's hand as the paramedics arrived. He got up but Gibbs stayed. "Sir, we need you to let go of his hand…sir?" Tony then made his way over.

"Boss they need the room." He touched Gibbs shoulder and he reacted quickly.

"Back off DiNozzo!" The yell jolted Tony a bit.

"Sorry boss." He followed the paramedics out and watched as Gibbs raced to his car to follow. He met McGee moments later.

"You alright Tony?"

"Yeah, me, I'm fine…Ducky was hit."

"Yeah I heard over the radio."

Tony motioned towards the car. "Let's go." As they jogged in that direction, McGee stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it Probie? Come on." He opened the car door.

McGee snapped out of it and continued towards the car. When he sat down he grabbed his phone quickly and dialed.

"Abby, it's me…"

--

AN: Aw Poor McGee, being the bearer of bad news…okay folks…looks like I'll be wrapping it up this week! As always I'd love to know what you think…so review away! And thanks in advance! -TLH


	18. Final

AN: This will be the final chapter…I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you. We've been through a lot of ups and downs during these chapters, so I hope enjoy the wrap up. It was fun doing the psych appointments, I must admit. Many thanks to all you faithful reviewers! You are such an encouragement! Please let me know your thoughts on the story as a whole…so without further adieu, Sleepless Nights, Final Chapter…

--

When Abby entered the ER, there wasn't much say as to where she could go and when she could go there. She could've fought her way through a bull to get where she wanted. And where she wanted to be was running right into the open arms in front of her.

"McGee, tell me he's okay."

"We're waiting to hear Abs," He released her slowly as he thought he saw a scowl fall across Gibbs face. When she left his arms, she fell right into Gibbs's embrace, causing the scowl to soften a bit. Last but not least, was Tony, who was pacing a few feet away.

Gibbs thoughts were permeated with what ifs, and he couldn't help but think there was something he could've done differently. McGee wasn't less concerned for Ducky, but kept his sights on Abby who was clinging close to his side. Tony was letting out yawn after yawn, in one way failing to hide his need for rest, the other looking for a way of escape from thinking that he could lose another friend.

Time seemed to stop as the four of them were approached by a tall man in the whitest lab coat they had ever seen. All of them knew the next few moments would shape the direction of the team for a long time to come. They had lost Kate, and look what it had done to them, if they lost Ducky, each of them knew things may never be the same again.

The Doctor clasped his hands together and slowly let a smile fall across his face. "Agent Gibbs, we were able to retrieve the bullet successfully, there will be some discomfort and some rigorous therapy to come for his shoulder, but I foresee a full recovery within a couple months."

With those last words, Abby had already flung her arms around the Doctors neck, while Tony and McGee shared a quick embrace. Abby then turned to give another three hugs to her friends and Gibbs couldn't help but sigh, the biggest sigh of relief he had in his life.

It would be an hour or two before they could visit Ducky, and while Gibbs went for coffee, the three friends couldn't help but curl up for a quick nap. When Gibbs returned to the lounge he found Abby snuggled up on McGee's shoulder, his arm nonchalantly wrapped around her, while Tony's head had found its way on Abby's lap, with the rest of his body sprawled out across two chairs. Gibbs smiled as he took in the sight, finally letting go of his worry that the loss of Kate had shook his team up so badly, that it would never be the same. But the Kodak moment in front of him, caused that worry to disappear, for good.

He sat down in a chair near him and took in the sight for as long as he could before he left to visit his friend. When he entered the room, he couldn't help but smile once again. The crisis was coming to a close, they had all made it through mentally and physically, and as he assessed his friend, he knew it was going to be a new beginning for each of them.

He softly placed his hand under his friends, and squeezed softly. "You had to be the hero eh Duck?" He laughed slightly, and pulled a chair to sit down. He allowed his body to relax for the first time in weeks, placed his arms on the side of the bed and laid his head on top of them. Then he slowly closed his eyes for the best night's sleep he'd had in a long, long time.

When he awoke, he was met by DiNozzo standing over him with a smile. "Sleep well boss?"

He nodded. "I did Tony." He stretched out and leaned back in his chair. "How about you three love birds?"

Tony and McGee's faces turned red, but Abby simply grinned. "Oh Gibbs."

When Ducky started to come to, all he could hear was the bickering of Tony and McGee, and the usual gander. He then opened his eyes to one of the most beautiful sights; a man could open his eyes to, his family.

--


End file.
